A Life of Magic: Will it Set Them Free?
by The-Cheese-Fairy
Summary: What is 'the true meaning of the Power of Three? The sisters are about to find out... the hard way.
1. Mystery Loves Company

Whilst my loyal readers get over their heart attacks, I recommend that if you're a new reader and are interested in reading this, you read the first part of 'A Life of Magic' (which you will find by clicking on my name in the top corner.) I must forewarn you though: The writing in the beginning is beyond **_awful._** Seriously, I cringe every time I read over it. But please please please ignore the suckiness and continue to when the writing improves. I'm sure any of my readers will tell you it gets MUCH better!

And to the rest of you: **No**, do not adjust your screens; do not reach for your specks! You are _not_ seeing things: It _IS_ me! And this _IS_ the sequel to '_A Life of Magic: The Third Child_ _Prophecy_'. I'm not going to waste your (and my) time with excuses as to why the sequel was not posted months ago. **'I suck. The end.'** I am aware that I've probably lost readers because I took so long to update, and I know you're all pissed off with me. But I'm going to stand here whilst you throw rocks and rotten tomatoes; because I know I deserve it. As long as you leave me nice, substantial reviews... Hehe.

I'll give you a little reminder of the kids, their ages (at the time the fic takes place) and their powers. This fic takes place in February 2009, so 2 and a half months after the last instalment:

Prudence "Prue" Halliwell-Wyatt (6 and a half)- Orbing, Orb telekinesis, Healing, hovering.

Andrew "Andy" Halliwell-Wyatt (3)- Orbing, sensing, telekinesis.

Amy Halliwell Wyatt (7months)- Telepathy, orb deflection (though not used since being in the womb)

Melinda-Jayne Halliwell (4 and a half)- Temporal Stasis spheres, Molecular Acceleration spheres, shimmering.

Charlotte Halliwell-Dean (2)- Premonitions.

Laura "Pixie" Anderson (5 and a half)- Temporal Stasis, Molecular Acceleration, orbing.

Rachael "Snowflake" Anderson (2 and a half)- Cyrokinesis, sensing.

Warren Anderson (6 months)- Firestarting, pyrokinesis.

Shit, I need a disclaimer.

_-I don't own Charmed_

Nope. Not me, not you- it's gone. Forever and ever amen. But alas, with end of the show that brought you this fanfiction, the return of the phantom author has arisen! Yes, I am back from the murky depths of writers' block land- here to present to you something (I hope) you've all been waiting for. I'm going to warn you though, I'm a little bit worried. This story takes a different direction to it's prequel- if TTCP was the TV show, this would be the TV movie… or something. I'm sort of scared that you won't like it was much… I'll try my best. Promise!

And I'm making you wait just a tiny bit longer as I take a moment to dedicate this entire story to my good friends, muses, and all round awesome people: JARL. For putting up with my inane rambling and listening to me whine, moan and rant for the past year. They rock my socks, and have really been the reason this fic was not put off longer. They deserve my thanks: Thank you JARL.

Laur x

And now… _Drum roll please:_

**A life of Magic: Will it set them Free?**

_Chapter 1 –_

_**Mystery Loves Company**_

"Are you out of your _freaking_ mind!"

"Funny, maybe you should ask yourself the same thing!"

"I can't believe you're even suggesting this! Do you have a death wish for the entire family!"

"No- You know I don't! But this is important-"

"Phoebe!" Piper snapped again. Her eyes glared daggers at her younger sister as her arms emphatically folded in front of her chest. "Did you even listen to a word I just said?"

"Yes, Piper…"Clearly, Phoebe was struggling to keep herself composed. Her voice shook slightly as she spoke- anger apparent, even through her calm voice mask.

_-"You're not even supposed to be here!"_

The startlingly loud voice which thundered down the stairs from the attic caught both Piper and Phoebe off guard. Momentarily the argument they had just been having was forgotten about, and their eyes connected in confusion. Who was-? Before the silent question could be communicated between the sisters, however, the furious voice punctured their hearing again.

_-"I have to!"_

Whoever it was that had joined Iain in the attic had certainly caused an enraged spark to ignite within the Nauctater. Almost cautiously, Phoebe took a step towards the staircase. She and Piper both knew that if Iain's temper was anything like Mark's, it was probably best to leave him alone. But he had been living out of the attic, researching The Source, for the past two days now, and- naturally- the Halliwell's were curious as to what he had discovered- especially now that he seemed to be having a heated argument with someone.

_-"Get out of here!"_

Phoebe turned her head and peered over her shoulder, sharing yet another bewildered look with her older sister. They couldn't even hear another voice…

"Iain!" Piper called out, "… Is everything okay?"

Apparently it wasn't. In the time it took the eldest Charmed One's question to journey warily upstairs, more inaudible and angry voices had escaped the attic door, and the door in question had been slammed shut so forcefully that Piper and Phoebe were almost amazed it was still in one piece.

"_HEY!_" The eldest Charmed One's voice echoed up the stairs once more, this time holding a more aggravated tone than the concerned one she had just used. "Watch it!"

"Bugger! Sorry, Piper!" Came the rushed reply. So rushed, in fact, it almost didn't sound like Iain at all.

"Well you'd better be!" Piper responded sarcastically but with an underlying frustration. She was no longer panicked, but aggravated and slightly wary of opening the door which now lay ahead of her and her younger sister. "What the hell is going _on_ in there!"

"Maybe he has split personalities and he's arguing with himself?" The middle sister offered in a very tongue-in-cheek tone. "We might go up there and find him trying to beat himself up..."

"Oh, be quiet!" Piper snarled, flinging a hand irritably in Phoebe's direction. Though they had- for now at least- stopped arguing, Piper was still angry with her sister. Phoebe twisted her face into a pout and stopped speaking for the remainder of the journey up the last four steps, knowing that Piper was liable to begin yelling at her again at any given moment. "Shh…" Piper warned once again, knowing Phoebe, at times, could have a rather loud mouth. If there was a demon in the room they didn't want to alert it to their presence. But Phoebe didn't remain silent for long.

"I'm not going to get lost in this house, Piper!" The middle sister suddenly protested.

Wondering what her sister had just rambled about, she turned around and saw her hand firmly latched to Phoebe's wrist. "Oh!" She knitted her brow and shook her head- she hadn't even been aware that she had grabbed onto her sister. It was, she knew, just her instinct as the oldest to protect her younger siblings when something felt off. But she released Phoebe's wrist with a sisterly smile, "Hah. Sorry… but woman, you're nothing but bones! Try eating a hamburger!"

"Just hurry it up!" Phoebe ushered on, pushing Piper to the door a little harder than required. "What if there's a demon in there!"

"Okay, okay!" Piper released her frustration with Phoebe, remembering the reason they were heading towards the attic in the first place. She stretched her arm towards the door handle and made to open the door. But it didn't budge. "What the hell...?"

Piper pressed her body against the door and attempted to push it open with more of her weight, but as much as the door shifted and creaked, it blatantly refused to open.

"It's stuck?" Phoebe cocked her head to the side as Piper continued to struggle.

"No! I'm doing this for the hell of it! Yes! Of course it's stuck!"

Ignoring Piper's sarcastic comments, she shooed her aside. "Let me try."

Piper raised a brow and shrugged, "Okay. But don't try running into the door like you did last time. Remember what happened?"

"Yes," She growled, "But it will work because the door's old." Before Piper could say another word, Phoebe, in a fashion similar to how she had been way back when they had first received their powers, charged for the door. But instead of running into it, the door opened, and she smacked directly into the form of Iain Anderson.

Piper groaned and rolled her eyes again. She took the final step into the attic and was torn between smirking at Phoebe, who had been running at such a speed that she had managed to knock Iain onto the ground, and glaring at the two of them. Neither of them was currently in her good books.

"Well," Iain mused, surprising Piper in the fact he seemed to be acting as if he had not just been having a raging argument with someone behind a locked door. "You ladies just can't stay off of me in this house, can you?"

"Firstly," Piper began, offering her hand to Phoebe so that she could stand up again, "Eew. And secondly, what the hell was all that shouting about?" She took a step towards Iain, who had also gotten to his feet, and now had his back turned. He remained silent however, and when they noticed that he appeared to be clutching the side of his face, the two witches grew concerned.

"Hey… are you alright?" Phoebe asked, brushing past Piper and approaching Iain rapidly.

The two older of the Charmed Ones were both slightly taken aback when the Nauctater turned to face them, grinning again. This whole situation was beginning to get very confusing.

"Ladies, I'm fine!" He exclaimed, almost too cheerfully. In the attic's dim, winter light, it took a moment for Piper and Phoebe to notice the small trickle of blood escaping Iain's nose, and the swelling which seemed to be growing around his right eye. But, unusually, the smile on his face seemed natural. "A little demon vanquish is never a cause to worry!" He continued, "Especially in _this_ house of all places!"

"A demon?" Piper questioned suspiciously. It wasn't that she didn't believe him. Something just seemed slightly… off.

"Yeah, one of the Source's minions I'd imagine. Nae very powerful."

"But powerful enough to hit you upside the face?" Phoebe responded, quickly removing a tissue from her pocket and offering it to the Nauctater so he was able to clean up his blooded nose. "Are you alright? Do you want some ice?"

"No, no. I'm fine! Honestly." He accepted the tissue, and visibly winced when he pressed it against his nose, but continued his manly façade. Piper rolled her eyes. He was just like his brother- unable to admit he needed a woman's healing touch even though he was clearly in pain.

"Okay, suit yourself." Piper replied. "Just be careful next time you vanquish a demon in my house- there are little kids running around downstairs! I don't want them picking up your potty mouth."

"Sorry Ma'am." Iain apologised giving the eldest Charmed One a mock salute.

"I mean it. I wouldn't be surprised if they could hear you across the street! …Are you sure this was just an ordinary level demon? It sounded awfully…"

"Violent." Phoebe finished for her older sister, wearing the same quizzical expression.

"I am almost one _hundred_ percent certain." Iain assured them.

The sisters shared a sideways glance, but before the conversation could continue any further, the sound of the doorbell chiming through the Manor caught Piper and Phoebe's attention. Paige was home! They both turned from the attic, motioning for Iain to follow them downstairs. The Nauctater hung back for a moment, however, and an expression of relief washed over his bruising face… That had been close.

_xxxxx_

The sound of small feet dashing through the Manor accompanied by the excited yelling of the two girls almost gave competition to the loudness of Iain's shouts from the attic. At the sound of the doorbell, the Anderson children had been alerted to the return of their mother. The youngest Charmed One had been in Boston for the past three days for the Christening of her good friend Glenn Belland's second son and, apparently, she had been terribly missed by the children.

"Mommy is home!" Laura, Paige's oldest, yelled with as much excitement as she could muster. As she came closer to the door, which was now opening, her spectacular blue eyes lit up and her hand reached out to grab that of her younger sister's. Rachael herself wore a grin which revealed her slightly crooked teeth in all of their splendour, and her flaming red hair flew wildly behind her as she ran.

The sight made Paige giggle.

Her smile grew into a wide grin when she realised that following her two daughters from the kitchen was none other than Cole Turner, who had been given the challenge of babysitting the kids for the weekend. And in his arms was her third child- The Third Child; her only son- Warren Samuel Mark Anderson. With huge blue eyes, identical to both of his sisters', he gazed directly into his mother's brown ones, and communicated a silent 'hello'. The youngest of the Halliwell sisters wrinkled her nose in amusement and shook her long dark hair from her face so that she could see clearly the faces of the three people had missed more than anything when she had been away.

"Mommy!" Two voices boomed joyfully in unison as Paige loosened her grip on her suitcase, sank to her knees and opened her arms, enabling her daughters to leap into a welcoming hug. Their embrace was much appreciated after three days of not having contact with them. (Of course that wasn't strictly true because Paige had phoned to check up on them at every possible opportunity, but cuddles were still comforting).

"Hey!" She greeted, "I missed you guys!"

"We missed you too, Mummy!" Laura replied, whilst Rachael mumbled her response because her face was so buried in her mother's jumper.

"Did you have fun with Uncle Cole?" Paige asked, releasing her daughters of the hug and rising to her feet- slowly so that she would prevent putting strain on her hip.

"Yeah!" Laura replied eagerly, giving an enthusiastic nod. "Lots of fun!"

"He even played Barbies!" Rachael added, with yet another toothy smile.

Paige bit down hard on her lip to prevent herself from letting out a giant burst of laughter, and she raised her eyebrows, amused to no end at her good friend. "He did?" She questioned with a wicked sense of mocking in her voice. "Well, well Mr Turner. I didn't know you were the Barbie type! I had you pegged as more of a G.I Joe kinda guy…"

A slight pink crept into Cole's cheeks, and he averted his gaze to the small boy who resided in his arms so that he could avoid the amused smirk Paige was wearing. His feet began to shuffle awkwardly beneath him, but soon he was laughing along with the youngest Charmed One.

"What's so funny?" A voice emerged from the stairs as Piper and Phoebe descended them.

"Well you'll never guess what Rachael did this wee-"

"Nothing." Cole quickly interrupted.

"Oh… right." The bemused expression Phoebe wore did not remain for very long at all, when she jumped down the final two stairs and- grinning like a maniac and letting out a happy squeal reminiscent to a child on a sugar high- gave Paige a huge hug. "We missed you!"

"I was only gone for three days, Phoebs!" Paige replied, her face not wearing an expression of gratitude for the tight hug- more one of displeasure. "And I sorta need to breathe over here… ribs cracking..."

"Sorry." Phoebe grinned bashfully and pulled away, "But I did miss you... it was weird not having you around."

The two shared a smile before Piper stepped in to greet her sister, with a gentler squeeze of the shoulders "How'd it go?" she questioned, picking up Rachael as she did so.

"It went." She said bluntly, "I missed the kids a lot though. I hard a hard time enjoying it as much as I should have. But yeah… it was good… How were things here? Did I miss anything important?"

Paige, however, did not get the response she had been expecting. Piper and Phoebe eyed each other with what was almost interpretable as anger, before opening their mouths and beginning to answer in what were clearly lies.

"Everything went just fine-" The eldest began.

"- you didn't miss anything!" Phoebe continued, "Just the usual-"

"-Yeah everything was just peachy and normal-"

"-and the kids were great!"

Paige's eyebrows were now so pushed together that they could have been a single line of hair. "Right…" Not even bothering to ask her sisters why there was a sudden looming tension between them, she turned to face Cole, wearing a quizzical look. Unfortunately, he looked just as confused as her. Whatever had caused Piper and Phoebe's argument- and Paige could tell from basic sisterly intuition that they were arguing about _something_- apparently Cole had no idea what it was either.

"So yeah," Phoebe spoke before Paige could question her sisters. "We're just peachy keen."

And that was the final hint. Now Paige knew something was definitely off. "'Peachy keen'?" She asked, "'_'Peachy keen'_? Okay, what is _up_ with you two?"

Instinctively, Piper and Phoebe turned to look at each other. Again, for a shorter moment this time, Paige sensed a spark of anger between her sisters, but she already knew the answer they would give her. They spoke in perfect unison, with the same refuting tone: "Nothing!"

Paige rolled her eyes in a fashion only she – though the kids were all beginning to perfect it too- could manage. But she did not inquire any further. She knew both of her sisters were too stubborn to tell her something they did not want to. She also knew, however, that she _would_ find out why they were arguing before the day was over. She could be just as stubborn as her sisters.

"Are you staying for dinner?" Piper suddenly asked in a bid to change the subject.

Paige succumbed to her sisters bidding. Now wasn't the time to pry. "Yes! God, I haven't had a home cooked meal all weekend- I miss real food!"

"Great! I'll get the casserole started!" And with that, Piper placed Rachael in her mother's arms and exited the foyer, leaving Paige to glance suspiciously at Phoebe.

"I'll help!" The witch in question yelped, and she scuttled off down the corridor in pursuit of her big sister.

Paige eyed the two of them until had both entered the kitchen. She shook her head as she did so, fighting the urge to roll her eyes once more. "Sisters." She muttered.

"Yeah," Cole nodded in agreement before smiling towards the kitchen door where his only only daughter now resided. Melinda-Jayne Halliwell- the daughter Phoebe and Cole had shared before their brake up- stood grinning towards her father and Aunt, her dark pigtails falling from their bobbles and creating a tousled mess around her angelic face. "At least they're not your mother!"

"Aunty Paige!" MJ (as she had come to be called) spoke, "You're back!"

"Yes I am!" Paige replied, giving her niece a wave as she placed Rachael back on the floor.

"I thought you were playing snakes and ladders with your sister and Uncle Leo?" Cole asked, as his daughter began to walk down the corridor.

"Yeps, but Uncle Leo gotted called away by those elder men." An unamused frown graced MJ's face, "And den Charlie went with Jay-Jay to the garden."

Charlie- Charlotte Halliwell-Dean- was MJ's sister: the daughter of Phoebe and her husband Jason Dean. MJ always spoke about her with nothing less that utter admiration- the two children were very close. But the way in which the young witch had just spoken of her sister and step father was unusually bitter. Cole eyed his daughter curiously. Paige, however, did not notice.

Instinctively, she reached out with both arms to grab the shoulders of her daughters'. Her heart had given a sudden leap; and- without reason- a thrilling shiver had danced up her spine. Perhaps there had been a draft from the open door, but Paige was sure she had felt something walk behind her… but not something bad.

"Did you feel that?" She asked, shifting forward a few inches.

"Feel what?" This was a new voice. The Witch-Whitelighter couldn't help but smile when she turned to see her brother-in-law descend the stairs. Iain's hair stuck up at all angles and his clothes were the same scruffy style the Halliwells had come to expect of their new friend. His face wore a broad grin, but it appeared to be slightly bruised- and his eyes were glancing with an unusual alarm into the corner of the room. Paige gave a concerned hiccup, but her worried gaze left her when Iain stated simply, in reference to his bruise, "It was a demon."

"Oh," Came the reply, "Whe-"

"Feel what?" Iain interrupted, persisting with his previous question as he took the last three stairs in one giant step.

"Nothing," Paige told him, shaking her head at her own paranoia, but Iain continued to walk around her until he paused at her back. "I've probably just got an overactive imagination after four hours on a plane."

"You sure?" Cole asked with a teasing tone. "You're imagination is pretty overactive most of the time."

"Well… I thought I felt someone in the room, but I guess it was just you." She nodded towards Iain, who had developed a smirk.

"Oh yeah, Paigey! Can't you see the ghost behind your right ear?" With a simple gesture of his hand, a gust of wind crashed into the back of Paige's head and her hair flew out of the clip which had been holding it in place.

She gave a small yelp of surprise as the chill created by Iain's aerokinesis shot down her spine. "Hey!" Hitting him playfully in the chest, Paige shook her head so that her hair fell back into place. All three of her children were giggling. When she looked at Warren, who- in his small 'Giants' T-shirt- was the picture of cuteness, she realized that she had not yet greeted her son, and Iain's actions, along with the unusual presence she was certain she had felt, quickly left her mind.

"Hey baby." Warren grinned as his mother approached. His round face was filled with a smile unlike any other Paige had seen her son wear before. "Whatcha smilin' at, hmm?" A smile polished her face too; he was the spitting image of his father when he grinned like that. Warren extended a small, chubby arm and pointed an equally chubby finger towards the door of the Manor. Paige followed her son's gaze in a happy inquisitiveness, but saw nothing incredibly prominent in the room which could be causing her son to point. "You want to go outside?" Assuming that Warren had been pointing at the door because he wanted to play in the garden, Paige reached for her son and gave him a peck on the forehead. "Well, come with Mommy and we'll go see your cousins out the back."

"Bye buddy." Cole bid the small boy farewell with a friendly ruffle of the hair.

However, upon leaving Cole's arms, the smile fell immediately from Warren's face. Paige, who had turned to signal the girls to follow them outside, did not notice her son's sudden change in expression until a small cry escaped his lips. The young witch impulsively began to rock Warren on her hip as she walked towards the kitchen, but it seemed the further from the foyer she moved, the louder The Third Child's cries became.

What had been a small whimper was now a piercing shriek, and Warren began thrashing furiously in his mother's arms. Paige stopped moving forwards and turned back into the room they had just exited. MJ, Laura and Rachael were gazing at the small boy with concerned eyes, which Cole mirrored.

When he realized that he was moving back towards the foyer, Warren's arms extended as far as they possibly could manage in the direction of the door, where Cole and Iain (who had apparently turned to face the door upon seeing his nephew's sudden fascination with it) stood side by side. This caused Paige to wrinkle her nose. "I guess he grew attached to his Uncle Cole over the weekend…" She mused.

Perhaps she was correct, as Warren's violent tears seemed to subside when she reached the two men standing in front of her. Paige was unsure how to feel- was Warren seeking a father figure in his Uncle? Perhaps his lack of a father was causing his sudden attachment to Cole… It was possible that Mark's passing just over a year ago was beginning to affect the child who had never known him. But Paige tried with all her will to rid her mind of this thought. "Boy, going home tonight will be fun." Cole gave Paige and Warren a broad smirk at her statement. He did not notice the edge of sorrow that was now lingering behind the witch-whitelighter's eyes.

"Let's go outside," The ex-demon suggested and, this time with the company of Cole, they started off down the corridor again.

Warren's gaze, however, still rested irritably on the door. His Uncle Iain was staring at exactly the same spot, muttering quietly under his breath. The older Nauctater had soon turned to face his nephew though. He gave him a sympathetic smirk "Soon." He mouthed. "Shh."

_xxxxx_

Dinner was an unusual experience in the Manor that evening. Tension had seemed to loom over the kitchen- draped from every corner of the room. It was not a feeling any of the family particularly appreciated, and it was not helped by Piper's frustration towards the fact Leo had not yet returned from his visit to the Elders.

Luckily, the presence of all eight children was enough to keep tempers from reaching boiling point. No matter what the situation, there was never anything like a little food fight to lighten the mood…

"Mommy," A voice belonging to Prudence Halliwell-Wyatt – Piper's eldest child – whined, "Andy won't give me the ketchup!"

"Andrew, sweetie, can you give your siste-"

"I's not finis'd with it yet!" He interrupted, scowling.

Piper frowned as she looked towards Andrew's plate. Her second child, and only son, had developed the same eating habit the eldest Charmed One remembered Phoebe having at his age. At three years old, Phoebe had refused to eat anything – even chocolate- without copious amounts of tomato ketchup, and looking at Andy's plate- which seemed to be covered in the sickening red gloop- it was clear he had the same liking for it. "Well sorry buddy, but that's all you're getting for tonight. Now give Prue the ketchup- or no desert."

Andy obliged, but sulkily. He took the small plastic bottle in his fist and threw it towards his sister with as much force as he could manage. Unfortunately- and whether intended by the mischievous little boy or not- the cap had not been closed. This led to the red liquid leaking, quite plentifully, all over the one person who sat between him and his sister.

Rachael gave an ear-piercing shriek as her blue dress became spotted with crimson. "Yuk!" She screeched. "Andy, you poop head!" Temper rising before any of the adults could move to fix the situation, her arm moved backwards ready to hit her cousin.

"No hitting!" Paige quickly gasped. Rachael's hand lowered and her mother gave an audible sigh, but Paige had clearly not seen where Rachael's hand had been headed.

_Splat!_

Now Andy, too, was covered in food. The young redhead gave a satisfied smirk as the mashed potato she had thrown hit Andy on the shoulder, and she was only encouraged to laugh further when Amy- Pipers final child- gave an amused squeal from her highchair at the opposite side of the table.

"Don't throw food at Andy!" Prue gasped. She may have been arguing with her brother moments before, but the protective Halliwell gene always overcame every other emotion in the eldest of the children.

"He started it!" Laura jumped in, defending her own sibling. "Don't yell at-" Before she could finish her sentence, a fistful of chopped carrots to the face had silenced her. "_Charlotte!_" Laura gasped. Apparently the two year old had witnessed the food throwing fun and had decided to join in. This caused Melinda-Jayne to give a wicked chortle and –in turn- get involved in the fight. She had soon been spurted with casserole at the hands of an angry- but growing slowly more amused- Laura.

Andy then took it upon himself to use his telekinesis and scatter more mashed potatoes at each of his cousins.

"Hey! Stop it!" Piper snapped, "There will be no magical food fights at the dinner table!" Rising to her feet, and moving as fast as they would carry her to the end of the table where the children were eating, Piper turned a pale shade of green- there was food everywhere. "I said stop it!"

They didn't, and Piper found herself in the pathway of flying broccoli, which had soon stuck to her hair. Thunderous laughter echoed around the table and even Piper herself was tempted to laugh. However, she took her opportunity with grace and turned to face Phoebe, "Oh you think this is funny? You try some!" And then the woman who had been trying to stop the fight was throwing casserole at her younger sister. She had to admit, watching Phoebe's face contort in amused disgust was the most fun she had had in a long while.

_xxxxx_

Once all had calmed down and the dining room had eventually been tidied (with the reluctant help of Jason and Cole), and the kids were happily watching a DVD in the living room, the Charmed Ones retired to the kitchen for a well deserved glass of wine (or in Paige's case blackcurrant juice). The two older siblings seemed to have forgotten about their argument for the evening, and Paige did not want to be the one to bring it up again. This had been the first family meal night in a long time which had not been interrupted by some sort of magical (or, occasionally, human) mishap, and the youngest Charmed one felt obliged to let the calm continue until, inevitably, it was broken by something else.

The sisters were surprised to find Iain in the room. He was silently and absentmindedly staring out of the window into the darkening sky. It was the first night in the past week he had not spent crammed in the attic with a flask of coffee and endless amounts of documented notes. Piper almost smirked- he looked somewhat out of place in the kitchen.

"Do you want a glass of wine?" Piper's voice cutting through the quiet of the room startled the Nauctater, bringing him out of his distant daydream. In his sudden shock, he exhaled a quick breath, but due to his surprise it came out as an aerokinetic gust of wind. The curtains flew outwards and various papers, which had been resting on the window ledge, scattered messily across the room; water from the sink rose up in small, but forceful splashes, causing tiny droplets to litter the windowpane; and an identical chill swept round all three Charmed Ones' shoulders. Apparently Iain had been too lost in his own thoughts to even hear the sisterly banter as it approached him from the living room. And so, with a surprised shudder, he turned to face them.

"What?" Iain yelped, clearly startled, "…you scared the bloody crap outta me!"

"God, jumpy much?" Paige grinned at her brother in law. He did not return the smile. "She asked if you wanted a glass of wine."

"Sorry" Ignoring the question, Iain closed his eyes and clutched his fists tightly. Paige rolled her eyes, whereas Phoebe narrowed hers in confusion; Piper was the only one to notice the photograph he grasped in his hand.

"Who's that?" She asked with a genuine curiosity. It looked like a photograph of a child.

Iain let out yet another long breath, which- again- bordered on a gentle wind. He closed his eyes and shook his head, thrusting whatever he had been holding onto into his jean pocket. "Nothing," He replied. Unfortunately, Phoebe had answered at the same time.

"His son."

"Craig?" The youngest asked curiously, "I haven't seen him for …_ever_! How is he?"

"Oh, he's great." Iain answered. "He's staying with my mum."

"What?" Piper suddenly looked dumfounded, "No… _You_?" A shocked smile passed her lips, "Wow. I never thought of you as the fatherly type."

Paige winced. And there was that inevitable interruption of a happy family night.

"Actually," Iain's face hardened. "I'm a very good parent, thank you very much!"

"Never said you weren't, dude!" Slightly shocked by Iain's snapping, Piper narrowed her eyes. But she knew he was reacting a little too angrily towards one statement and decided he had only been kidding, "I'll bet he's a cutie- Lemme see that picture again!" Piper's hand moved towards the corner of the picture, which was peaking from the top of Iain's pocket.

The Nauctater took a startled step backwards and, instinctively, brought his hand down to cover the photo. "Oi!" He growled, "Keep your hands oot o' there!"

"Come on!" Phoebe protested playfully, "I've seen the picture before!" Making the same move as Piper had just tried to; Phoebe's hand darted towards Iain's pocket. Iain slapped it away.

"Girls!" His voice mischievously snapped, his facial expression suddenly changed and the tone of his voice lightened. Perhaps Phoebe hadn't been wrong before about a multiple personality disorder… "How many times must I tell you? Hands off the body!"

"Yes Phoebe, hands off the body."

Phoebe gave a sheepish grin as she turned to face her husband. Jason had just entered the kitchen with an armful of empty juice cartons- apparently he had put himself in charge of cleaning up after the kids (of course, his only motive being so that he would not get his head bitten off by his eldest sister-in-law). With enquiring eyebrows raised, he placed the cartons on the countertop and gazed at Iain and his wife.

"Sorry," Phoebe spoke and her bottom lip extended in a childlike pout as her eyes grew wide and puppy-dog-like. "But he's being stubborn and won't let me have it!"

"What?" If it was possible, Jason's eyebrows rose further. He had been succumbing to his wife's childish, but endearing face until she had spoken.

"The picture!" Phoebe quickly explained, "The picture!"

"Of his son." Piper continued, smirking at Jason's alarm.

"What?" Now that he wasn't staring curiously at his wife, Jason allowed Piper's statement to settle in, "Really? You have a son?"

"Why the hell is that so hard for everyone to believe?" The brief moment of calm, which Iain had allowed to settle on him, disappeared before any of the people present in the room had time to register his reaction. "Yes." His voice – though not loud- held an anger unlike any of the Charmed One's had witnessed in Iain. "I have," In inhaled a deep breath, clearly trying to calm himself. It did not seem to be very effective. "A son."

And with that the Nauctater barged forcefully past Jason, not taking time to acknowledge the fact he had knocked the cartons, which had just been placed on the counter, to the floor. Piper, Phoebe and Jason exchanged confused glances whilst Paige stepped back, shaking her head. When they heard the bang of the front door reverberate off of the Manor's walls, all heads turned to the youngest Charmed One.

"Just leave him," Paige said, sighing. "I think he needs a bit of time to vent- that's a trait which runs in the Anderson blood."

"What the hell is the matter with him?" Piper questioned.

"It's a long story… I guess I should have warned you he was a little touchy about Craig."

"A _little_!"

"Okay… a lot. But like I said, it's a long story. I'll explain later."

"You'd better!" Phoebe snarled, before settling comfortably into her husband's arms as he ran a loving hand through her hair. She turned from her sisters and gave Jason a small smile; in the strangeness of the situation which had just unfolded before their eyes, Jason's presence was allowing Phoebe to keep a cool head and not begin to panic about Iain's apparent mood swings. "Love you." She mouthed before moving to give him a lingering kiss.

"Hey- Hey!" Piper's harsh voice interrupted, "Don't get too cosy over there! We need to clean up this _mess_!" With a flailing arm, she indicated all of the clutter Iain had created on the floor- scattered newspapers from his aerokinesis, and cartons of juice from his outburst. And though Paige knew it was perfectly normal for Piper to get snappy about mess in her home, she couldn't help but notice her sister's anger was particularly pointed towards Jason and Phoebe.

Giving a silent sigh and a discreet roll of her eyes, Paige began to pick up the cartons of juice which littered the ground beneath her feet, leaving her sisters to fall back into the argument they had started the afternoon with. She had known the night was too peaceful for a family night- especially in the case of the Halliwells. She ignored Jason as he excused himself, saying he had to get back to the kids, and deliberately averted her eyes from her sisters (who were pettily glaring at one another).

"Can someone help me up?" Paige didn't want to ask, but with the pain in her hip growing, she needed one of her sisters to help her to her feet.

"Are you okay?" Piper asked as she came to her sister's aid. "If it's bothering you that much, maybe you should let Leo take a look at it?"

"I'm fine, Piper." Paige replied, smiling at her sister's concern- they may have annoyed her upon occasion, but she was always grateful to have them around.

"You sure?"

"Yes!" Paige began to giggle, "Stop being such a worry wart, woman!"

"Me?" Piper questioned, "I'm not the one who called up seven times a day at the weekend to check if things were okay here!"

"So I guess it runs in the family!" Paige smirked and hit Piper playfully on the arm, "Even Phoebe worries upon occasion." She turned to face her other sister but was greeted by silence. "-Phoebe?"

The witch in question seemed to be too engrossed in one of the Newspapers she had retrieved from the floor. Her eyebrows were slowly travelling up her face and her jaw travelled in the opposite direction, causing her mouth to form a small 'o'. "Oh my… God." She spoke in a whisper as if an epiphany had just hit her. "Oh my God!"

"What!" Both of her sisters asked urgently in unison.

"Oh my God!" Phoebe repeated, this time with a sense of excited urgency.

"What?" Snapping, Piper plucked the day's copy of The Bay Mirror from her sister's hand I read aloud from the headline. Unlike Phoebe, her voice dripped with confusion: "_Man rescues foster parents from blazing inferno_… what are you gawking at, Phoebs?"

"Not that," Phoebe no longer seemed in the mood to argue with Piper and slowly her hands indicated towards the newspaper's printing date. "This."

Whilst Paige's face contorted in bewilderment, Piper's washed over with a startling realisation. "Holy crap..." She gave a gasp similar to the one Phoebe had given, and her eyes widened in a mixture of amazement, shock, and a slight amount of fear.

"Someone want to tell me what you're 'holy crapping' at?"

"February 26th 2009" Piper whispered, unintentionally dropping the newspaper. "That's what!"

Paige continued to narrow her eyes. "Uhuh…"

"This time ten years ago, me, Piper and Prue came here. To today-"

"-Only it wasn't today! Well it was today, but not _today-_today… if you get what I mean?"

"I think so…" Paige nodded meekly. "It was the day Phoebe got burnt at the stake?"

"Yes." Phoebe replied, "And thank God that's not happening any time soon."

"Well, as long as Jason doesn't catch you going after Iain like that again!" Paige quipped, giving a cheeky grin.

"Funny!" Phoebe replied with an amused smirk.

"Wow. I can't believe how different things are!" To enforce what she had said, Piper spun in a full circle taking in her surroundings. "I mean for one thing- instead of one miniwitch running around here, we have _eight!"_

"And you and Leo aren't divorced."

"Well if he doesn't get his whitelighter butt back from up-there soon, who knows what'll happen…" Piper threatened playfully- but loudly in the hopes that her husband would hear her.

Giggling, Phoebe continued, "And Nathaniel Pratt is nowhere to be seen in the world of Government."

"…And Prue isn't here." Paige finished the list solemnly, voicing the one thing her sisters had been too frightened to say. Luckily, Piper and Phoebe smiled sympathetically towards her, reassuring her that they were not heavily affected by it.

"I wonder what Paige would have been like in the alternate future." Piper mused. "I wonder if we would have ever met you…"

"Probably," Paige replied, "After all- it was destiny."

"That's one thing I'm _sure_ of." Phoebe agreed, giving Paige's hand a squeeze. "Besides, however the future has changed there's something I'm definitely happy _is_ different."

"What's that?"

"That the Power of Three is still kicking ass, and definitely _not _using their powers for personal gain."

Phoebe's statement seemed to linger in the air. All three sisters smiled and subconsciously linked hands as they headed towards the back door. It was almost as if a silent message had communicated between them and each knew the other wanted to relax in the cool evening breeze as they conversed some more. They left the Manor in a comforting silence, but the more they moved towards the bench at the far end of the garden, the less consoling the silence became. As they each pondered over Phoebe's final statement some more, the smiles fell from their faces and – again, almost telepathically – it was clear they were thinking the same thing.

"Not really." Paige whispered as they all took a seat on the bench. "I mean… about the Power of Three kicking ass, that is."

Half heartedly, Piper ineffectively tried to argue, "Sure we do." She even sounded unconvinced with herself.

"When was the last time we even used a Power of Three spell?"

"Well-," Phoebe cut herself off, "I don't know."

"Wow, I guess I never thought about it before- when _was _the last time we used a spell together?"

… Silence…

The futile attempts of the sisters trying to recall the memory of a recent Power of Three spell only came to an end when a shower of angelic orbs began to materialize from the heavens. And when they did form, the handsome face which greeted them was not the smiling one they had come to know from Leo Wyatt- Piper's husband and guardian angel- known to the magical community as a whitelighter. The riled and somewhat cautious expression which lingered on his face only added to the disheartened mood of the Charmed Ones.

"What?" Piper asked, wrinkling her nose towards her husband. She was no longer in the mood to bite his head off for being gone all afternoon.

"I think you know…" He answered apologetically.

"Know what? …Leo, we don't know anything."

"What were you guys just talking about?"

Piper looked sideways to her sisters and her heart sank. "What about it?"

"The elders have noticed it too…" He took a step towards them; "That the Power of Three has been inactive as a unit for quite some time. That's why they called me up there today."

"And?" Bitterness was apparent in Piper's voice- though that was not unusual when it came to the Elders- Leo's (for lack of a better term) bosses. Now, however, the resentment towards them was almost overcome by a curious panic.

"Chimerak." Leo stated. The sisters immediately knew the relevance of the Demon's name, but Leo went on to explain anyway; "Vanquishing Chimerak was the last time you used a Power of Three spell- and that was a year and a half ago."

"Whoa…" Paige inadvertently let her head fall backwards and found her eyes gazing into the extensive mass of darkening sky which enveloped San Francisco.

"But what were The Elders going to do about it?" Phoebe joined the conversation with the question all three Charmed Ones wanted the answer to.

"They were going to make you realise what allowing the Power of Three to become so unimportant in your lives meant." He gave a sigh and looked Piper directly in the eyes. The look he gave her tugged ever so slightly on Piper's heartstrings; one simple look reminded her of why she loved him- even when he was being ever so cryptic. But then stepped backwards and with a final blow of a kiss, he turned away. "See you soon."

"What?" Of course, there were also the times when Piper could murder him. She jumped to her feet, with Phoebe hot on her tail and Paige slowly following, "What do you mean _'see you soon'_! Leo!" Her frantic yelling went unanswered and Leo soon disappeared from sight. "Shit!" She snarled, before the panic sank in.

A bone chilling sensation was suddenly sweeping through her like ice-cold water through a sponge. She didn't have time to register the ground moving beneath her feet and frantically she gasped for air. Her vision grew clouded by a ferociously bright light, which was now shining down on her and her sisters from nowhere. However, not matter how hard she tried to breathe in the bitter and freezing air, her lungs failed to inhale even a slight amount of oxygen. Flailing her arms wildly- in a mixture of panic and rage-, she searched desperately for either of her sisters. Paige's hand found her first. The sudden constricting hold on her left wrist almost caused Piper pain. And just from the unyielding grip, she could tell that Paige had gone into a mad panic.

Apparently Phoebe was panicking too. Just seconds after Paige had found her, Phoebe's arm had flung viciously around her shoulder, and she had pulled herself as close to Piper's body as she could manage. The intense light was now so blinding that the eldest Charmed One could not even make out the face of her sisters, and they were sitting mere inches from her! Not only was she growing blind, but also her desire for oxygen was beginning to grow. She opened her mouth and attempted urgently to breath inward, but it was as if the air was empty- void of life.

Goosebumps prickled the surface of Piper's flesh- her whole body felt constrained by the sudden jacket of coldness. Shivers shot down her spine in a rhythmic pattern, and it was now so freezing that it felt like something was biting the ends of her fingers. She did not know how long the sisters sat in the seemingly lethal vortex, but when she, again, failed to inhale oxygen, Piper's vision became hazy. She could feel herself begin to get light headed, and her eyes began to drift in opposite directions. She knew she was going to collapse at any given moment, and to prepare herself for it she pulled both of her sisters close to her.

Until suddenly- all of the commotion was gone. And Piper could breathe again…

She gasped for air and as it filled her lungs a satisfaction unlike anything she had felt before seemed to enter her with the oxygen. Both of her sisters were gasping for air too, so she knew they had experienced the same thing. Scowling, Piper looked up and prepared herself to give the elders- and her husband- a piece of her mind. How in Hell was scaring her into thinking she was going to collapse going to help them learn a lesson about the Power of Three?

What her eyes came to rest on, however, caused a trace of the panic she had just been feeling to return.

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Paige remarked breathlessly- and with as much frustration as Piper was feeling. Her pathetic attempt at a joke, however, held more truth than anything else at that moment:

They were certainly nowhere near home now.

_Heee! I forgot how fun cliffhangers were. I really hope this chapter lived up to your expectation and (even if it didn't) that you enjoyed it! I look forward to reading your reviews (Woo, here's that reminder that subtlety is not my forte)! Until next time…_


	2. What The Halliwell?

Hello there again! Thank you all for your fabulous reviews! I'm hoping to revamp my message boards at some point in the near future, so bare with me for review replies. Not got much to say for a change today! As always, reviews are appreciated! Enjoy:

_Chapter 2 –_

_**What the Halliwell?**_

Leo stood in the garden of the house he had come to call his own, staring wide-eyed at the spot in which his wife and her sisters had just vanished from. His heart felt heavy with guilt, made heavier still by worry. He had just witnessed the Charmed Ones begin a new chapter in their lives; one which would undoubtedly change their perceptive of everything they knew. Leo was one of the few with the knowledge of what lay ahead of the Halliwell sisters. It was not something he particularly wanted to know, or something he wished to explain, but he knew that as soon as he went inside and encountered Jason or Cole, the explanation would be inevitable.

Sometimes being a whitelighter was not something Leo enjoyed and now was one of those cases. "Good luck," He whispered to the empty air in front of him, and he slowly turned to the back door.

_xxxxx_

"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Paige spoke breathlessly as her panicked but enquiring eyes scanned her surroundings.

To her left, Piper was gasping for air. She could feel her oldest living sister physically shaking- whether in panic or rage (towards the Elders, of course) Paige did not know. Until mere seconds ago, panic thicker than blood had coursed through her own veins at a speed she had not even thought possible - But Piper was more inclined to be angry than scared. However, now, as they opened their eyes, neither panic nor rage was even in Paige or Piper's range of feeling. In fact, the landscape which surrounded them left confusion as the only prominent emotion:

Green.

It was the only word in Paige's surprisingly varied vocabulary that she could find to describe what surrounded her. Green. Green. Green. She assumed that with the aid of her glasses there would be slightly more to the vast expanse of grassy hills, but as it was, the convenience of glasses was a million miles away. In fact, to the youngest Charmed One, a mere sign of civilisation seemed a million miles away- more than a million. Other than her sisters- one of whose hand she still clutched tightly in her own- there was no sign of human life.

"Where the hell are we?"

"From what I can see," Phoebe answered as she shuffled slightly up the slope on which they had landed, "Somewhere with a hell of a lot of grass."

Of course, Phoebe had done what was called stating the obvious, but her statement left the sisters in silence as they each rose to their feet, not quite taking in what surrounded them. Even Paige, without the aid of her glasses, was awed by the unusual splendour (perhaps lessened by the fact the sisters did not want to be there) which radiated from the never-ending blanket of green grass.

The hill on which the Charmed Ones stood extended further into the misty sky than was comprehendible from only half way down. But it appeared to be one of the smaller of the vast number of slopes residing in the landscape. For miles on end- farther than the human eye could possibly see (especially in the dense mist that was rapidly descending)- hills of dark green stood strong; some small, some tall and some so far away the height they reached was not decipherable. Tremendous valleys, engulfed in the shadows of the looming clouds, created an almost magical feel to the place. And occasionally the extensive green was broken by fields of musty yellow or dirty brown- sometimes even aged purple heather littered the hillsides. But whatever the colour, there was no questioning the unusually melancholy beauty of the scene the Charmed Ones gazed at.

"Wow…" Phoebe's word broke the silence and confusion fell heavily on the sisters again. Splendour, magic and tremendous views did not quash the fact the Charmed Ones were completely and utterly lost without even a trace of knowledge about the situation they had landed in…

"Okay," Paige eventually spoke. Her desire to keep silence at a minimum was growing- when it settled on the sisters the quiet was almost always disconcerting. Of course, the whole situation was disconcerting, but standing in silence made her feel uneasy. "Do we have _any _idea what the hell is going on here!"

"Do we ever when the Elders are involved?" Piper's frustrated voice replied, as she clenched her fists tightly in her pockets.

"They must have left _some_ sort of clue…" Phoebe suggested hopefully, though avoiding Piper's eyes. Looking around her, however, her statement seemed to contradict itself. If there _was_ a clue residing in the landscape, it was not one she could see.

"They probably want us to figure it all out by ourselves so they have to put no effort into anything, as usual." Piper took a few quick paced steps up the hill. "Well are you coming or not?"

Paige and Phoebe exchanged glances- when Piper's temper began to heat there was no cooling it down, and though Phoebe remained silently grateful that her older sister's anger was now focused at the Elders, neither she nor Paige could help but think Piper was rushing headlong into a situation which was potentially dangerous.

"Piper, wait!" Paige expected her attempt to stop the eldest Charmed One's newfound warpath to fail, but Piper obliged to her sister's request. "How do you know we're not supposed to go downhill?"

"All that's down there is fields and plants, I don't think we're going to find whatever it is we're looking for down there…" She gave Paige a small but sympathetic smile and her eyes briefly glanced at her sister's hip. She knew this was not going to be easy for her sister. "But hey, Phoebe and me aren't going to leave you behind- don't worry about it."

"Why don't I just try orbing us home?" Paige mused warily- the idea of climbing that hill was not one she was particularly fond of.

"I doubt that'll work." Came the cynical reply, "But go ahead and try."

Clutching to her sisters' hands, Paige gave a hopeful grimace. She closed her eyes and focused her thoughts on the only house she had ever truly felt at home in. Anticipation of the magical tingling sensation which never failed to overwhelm Paige lasted a little too long. She waited and waited for what seemed like hours (though was, in actual fact, mere seconds), but the familiar and brilliant white lights never even began to engulf her.

"Come on." She urged herself, her face contorting in determination as her hands grasped Piper and Phoebe's a little too tightly. "Come _on_." Still nothing happened. "_Damnit!_"

"I told you it wouldn't work." Piper remarked before retracing her few steps up the hillside and giving a displeased grunt. "I'm willing to bet that none of our powers work. - Try calling for something."

"Piper's shoe." Paige's voice rang out like it always did when she activated her telekinetic orbing. Although her powers had progressed to the extent that she did not have to call for the object she wanted, it was a hard habit to grow out of. "Piper's shoe!" She demanded again, but not even a tingle escaped her fingertips. "What the hell?" Her mouth formed a tight knot. "No freaking way!"

"I guess we should know how the Elders work by now, huh?" Phoebe mused, not even attempting to activate her levitation power. She had the instinctive feeling that any attempt she did make would only result in her falling over.

"Well come on then!" Piper ordered.

"Wait for me at the top," Paige told her sisters, suppressing a groan. "There's no point in me holding you up."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, go ahead!"

And so they all started up the seemingly unrelenting slope.

_xxxxx_

Night was rapidly descending on San Francisco, bringing with it a dense and almost claustrophobic atmosphere. Fog was moving in from the ocean- crawling along narrow streets and creeping through murky alleyways- trapping the city in a foreboding shell of mist. A breeze was beginning to make itself present in the city too- and it was almost clear a storm lay on the horizon, but – for now – the residents of Prescott Street were unaware of the sudden change in weather.

Heavy but quick paced footsteps, belonging to a man who appeared to be walking without any sense of directional awareness, seemed to be the only sign of life on the darkening street. Of course, there were dim lights meekly shining from the windows of the Victorian Manors residing there, but only Iain Anderson remained out in the cold.

Immediately after storming out of the Halliwell Manor, the Nauctater had regretted doing so. He knew he had a tendency to overreact, but where his son was concerned a rush of powerful emotions was always going to be inevitable. Sometimes his anger was beyond his control- one of the unfortunate family traits that flowed in the Anderson blood (something which Iain had grown to know well after it had led to countless fist fights with his two brothers whilst growing up).

"Idiot!" He scalded himself, resisting the urge to take a swing at one of the many lampposts which were littering the street with faint orange spotlights.

His footsteps seemed to get quicker as he attempted to release his anger through vigorous movement, but instead- with every step he took- his frustration grew. His heart had never been such an unstable mix of emotions and his mind was bursting with tormented thoughts- the most prominent, of course, being Craig.

He paused on the street corner and found himself leaning backwards onto the lamppost of the streetlight which stood behind him. Iain pressed his eyes close and shook his head, enabling his hair to fall forwards onto his face. He was drowning in troubled thoughts, too deep into his dilemma to escape. The death of his baby brother seemed to have triggered a chain of terrible fortune in the life of Iain Anderson. Now- despite the mask of playful, flirtatious sarcasm, and the joy of spending time with his nieces and nephew- it seemed the only escape from his puzzled mind was dwelling on the past.

This was why the picture of Craig, which had been the cause of his current residence on the streets of San Francisco, was now grasped between his thumb and his forefinger. When he opened his eyes to be greeted by the smiling face of his son, Iain's heart swelled. Life had been so easy then…

_The drizzling rain which lingered in the greying sky failed to dampen the spirits of the small child who was staring out of the window of the small council house, busily trying to fasten the zip of his oversized raincoat. The coat in question was so large that it was almost tent-like compared to the young boy who wore it, but it only made his already endearing appearance cuter. Besides, this weather was normal for his hometown. And young Craig Anderson liked the rain- his father had always told him that whenever it rained, it meant his grandfather was saying hello. (Granted, living in Scotland this meant his Grandfather was in frequent contact, but at six years old, Craig had no time to spare for cynical thoughts like that)._

"_Daddy!" His excited voice echoed through the small, half decorated living room, "Grampie's sayin' hallo again!"_

"_Is he now?" Came the cheerful response from the doorway. "Are you going to say hello back?"_

"_Can I?" Craig asked enthusiastically._

"_Go on!"_

"_Alright!" And with an eager wave of his hand towards the window, and a large smile, the young boy emitted a stream of crystal water from his fingertips, which lightly scattered themselves across the windowpane. "Hallo Grampie!" He boomed._

"'_At's ma boy!"_

_With his mass of tousled red hair covering his glasses, it was difficult to see the boy's mesmerising blue eyes light up as he watched his father manoeuvre around various pieces of furniture, at the same time avoiding cardboard boxes and paint buckets and carefully walking around a ladder. The smile on Craig's face grew wider and wider as his dad approached, and when he came within a foot of his son, the boy let out an excited giggle and leapt forwards into the awaiting muscular arms of Iain Anderson._

_Iain's grin, which – it was now particularly evident – his son had no doubt inherited, shone throughout the room, brightening the dullness of the non-painted walls. Moving house was a difficult task at the best of times, but this had been particularly hard for the redheaded Nauctater because it had meant leaving his son with 'Uncle Mark' and 'Uncle Doug' for the duration of the move. This trip to the swings in the rain was going to be the first quality time father and son had spent together all week!_

"_Daddy, lift me up high!" Craig requested, thrusting his short arms into the air with all the enthusiasm a six year old should have, "I'm gunna fly like Superman!"_

"_Superman?" Iain gasped, playing along with his son to his heart's content, "When I spoke to you at your Uncle's house you were a Power Ranger!"_

"_No, no, no," Craig shook his head and rolled his eyes in a manner Iain could only laugh at, "Superman!"_

"_Okay, Superman…" Iain grinned with a playful maliciousness and lifted Craig up above his head, giving a careful three-hundred-and-sixty degree turn, "I suggest you get flyin'," He placed his son on the floor and his smile grew, "Because Lex Luther's coming to get you!"_

_Craig gave an excited squeal and turned on his heal, running as fast as his small feet would carry him from the room- all the while laughing at his father- his hero; nobody was better than his dad._

_Iain paused for a moment, his heart soaring. Fatherhood had done a lot of good for him, and every moment he spent with his son only seemed to make his life better. Which was why games like this one came so easily to the second born Anderson brother- Craig made him happier than he had ever been. "You won't get away that easily, Superman!" He boomed joyously, rocketing from the room so fast that he almost knocked over the decorating ladder as he ran underneath it._

_After a confrontation between superman and his arch enemy, there had been another battle – with Craig's gloves, which appeared to be getting slightly too small for his growing hands and would not go on without a fight. But alas, another battle was won by the forces of good and finally Iain and Craig were ready to cross the road and play in the park._

"_Catherine!" Iain's voice boomed through the small house's corridors, travelling into the kitchen where his then-wife had stood, unpacking utensils and crockery. "We're off to the play-park for a wee whiley!"_

"_Alright!" She replied cheerfully, peeking a head of black hair- tightly permed- around the doorframe. "A'll hae the tea ready when yer hame!"_

"_Bye Mummy!"_

"_Bye Craigy! Have fun!"_

_And fun they had not failed to have. They had splashed in puddles and raced across the grass to see who could reach the swings first- naturally Iain had let his son win; They had kicked a football around until both had ended up on the floor after slipping on the wet grass and Iain had even been convinced to slide down the shoot so that it was dry for Craig to use. There had been a slight mishap when Craig had dropped his glove in a puddle and uttered a word which sounded remarkably like "bugger" – when Iain had discovered that Uncle Mark had been using this word he made a mental note to have words with his younger brother about his use of language._

_The time in the park had ended with Craig sitting on one end of the seesaw, elevated into the air by the heavy body of a six foot five Nauctater, whose knees reached his chin and whose bum was only inches from slipping backwards off of the awkwardly small, plastic seat. Unlike his father, Craig was finding the situation highly entertaining._

"_I'm the king o' the castle and you're the dirty rascal!" He sung playfully, waving his arms above his head fearlessly, unperturbed by the fact he could fall from his high perch._

"_Oh really!" Iain smirked, "Well, King Craig-" Carefully he slipped his hand into his pocket and grasped onto the small camera he rarely parted with. "Say cheese!"_

"_Cheese!"_

And that was the smiling face which greeted Iain now from his picture. Carefully, he placed it back in his pocket and gave a disgruntled sigh. His anxious blue eyes darted in all directions, double-checking that he was, in fact, alone, and he inhaled a steadying breath of the tense air. Before he knew it, his stomach was awash of tiny butterflies, aggressively flying into one another in a desperate bid to leap out of his throat, and a whirlwind or aerokinesis had engulfed him, transporting him from the street corner.

_xxxxx_

"Fat lot of use that was." If Piper had been near something she could blow up, its particles would have been hurtling their way through the atmosphere at that very moment. After almost half an hour of trudging uphill (all the while cursing at the Elders), upon reaching the top the journey had proved futile. Of course, the oldest Charmed One should have known to expect nothing less from the beings that had driven her into a wild rage more times than she could count. Nothing was ever as simple as a walk up a hill in the life of the three most powerful witches on earth.

Tired and in need of a drink, Phoebe soon emerged at the top of the hill too. The journey had divided the sisters- Piper's determined march putting her ahead of her sisters, whilst Paige's hip caused her to fall behind. Phoebe had initially been struggling to keep up with her big sister, but had soon decided the company of herself would aid in a much clearer head than she was getting from arguing with Piper. She spotted her sister sitting with her arms folded, resting on the stump of a tree- which was the only sign of plant life, other than grass, that they had encountered so far- and slowly made her way towards her. "Find anything?"

"Does it look like it, Phoebs?" Piper sighed, glaring through poisonous eyes.

"Nothing _at all_?"

"I just said no- do you really think I'd be kidding?"

"Actually you said- oh you know what, never mind. We'll just wait for Paige and then decide what the hell we're going to do."

"Okay…"

Neither was in the mood to laugh at the coincidentally synchronised sigh they had both given. Instead they rested against the tree stump in wait of their youngest sister. She came five minutes later, walking with a distinct limp. As much as she enjoyed the excuse for not having to walk with her quarrelling sisters, the pain in her hip sometimes made her feel incapable.

"Are you okay?" Piper and Phoebe asked at the same time.

"Would you guys quit asking me that- I'm fine!" Before they could continue fussing, Paige spoke again, "Did you find anything?"

"No." The blunt statement was, again, spoken in unison.

Paige knew the tension between them was being built upon by their frustration towards the situation, but she could not help but to be perturbed by the bickering- especially since she had no idea of what was causing it. So she gave a sigh and took a seat on the tree stump with her sisters, leaving all three to stare out aimlessly into the green distance. Even from the top of the hill, the view provided nothing but grass in all directions.

"What now?" Phoebe eventually asked.

"I have no idea," Paige shifted uncomfortably, "The Elders sent us here to learn a lesson about the Power of Three, and that's about all we know."

"Well so far I'm not seeing how landing us here on this stupid mountain is going to teach us anything other than how to be lost."

"Whatever the hell reasons the Elders sent us here for; I just want to get out of here as soon as possible." Phoebe's shoulders visibly slumped. "Jason's leaving for Hong Kong tomorrow and I want to be able to say goodb…" Phoebe cut herself off and – for reasons unknown to Paige- shuffled slightly away from Piper, wearing a face guiltier than MJ's when she had spilled tomato soup over her mother's Gucci dress. When she noticed Paige's glance, however, Phoebe changed her posture and finished her sentence, "Goodbye- I wanted to be able to say goodbye."

"Well…" Paige ignored her own suspicion as her thoughts turned to home. Suddenly a lurch had made itself present in her stomach. As it was, the Charmed Ones were going nowhere fast- who knew how long they would take to figure out this… this _lesson._ And Paige did not want to leave her children for any longer than she had to. "You know what? Let's just keep on looking..."

"The only problem is we have no idea what we're looking for."

"Well, we have to start somewhere, Phoebe." Paige, who was trying with all her might to keep a level head, stood and took a step forward. The clouds in the already grey sky had grown denser, causing the youngest Charmed One to give a chilled shudder. "If we're supposed to be learning a lesson about the Power of Three, then I'm guessing what we're looking for has something to _do_ with the Power of three."

"I suppose that makes sense…" Phoebe stood as she spoke and offered her hand to her youngest sister. "A spell?"

"Fine," Piper stood too, also grasping her sister's hand. "But I'm nominating Paige to come up with it." She glanced sideways towards the witch-whitelighter. "You're the best at that sort of thing."

"Okay, uhm…" As she began to concentrate, Paige found her bottom lip compressed between her teeth; her eyes rolled upwards, looking to the sky for some sort of inspiration; and her brown knitted. "_The Power of Three is lost with no clue… point us towards what we have to do…?_"

"_That_ was the best you could come up with!"

"Well I'm sorry, but thinking of these things on the spot is not exactly ea- whoa." As Paige turned to face her sisters her jaw dropped. And she found that she could only utter three words before the gift of speech momentarily left her: "Oh." She stumbled backwards a few steps. "My." Her brown eyes grew unbelievably wide. "God."

The expression of sheer shock on their sister's face led Piper and Phoebe to turn round as fast as their bodies could manage. Their reactions mirrored Paige's, and Piper managed to utter in a shocked whisper, "Well I guess it worked…"

The grass; the endless expanse of fields and mountains; the very hill they had just climbed had disappeared. Gone - with no trace of it ever being there. And in its place: trees. The Charmed Ones were standing on the edge of a deep, fertile, mysterious and frightfully dark forest. Trees of all breeds, in all shapes and sizes, surrounded them, ranging from large, grey trunks with flourishing violet leaves, to tall, thin redwoods- with tiny green needles- which stood firmly, towering threateningly over the witches. Some clung to one another, gripping tightly, but lovingly, to the branches of their neighbours- almost as if in fear of separation. Some stood alone- secluded to the point of despair, where even weeds refused to grow near. The contrast in shapes and sizes created a perplexing beauty- an unsolvable mystery in the trees. Oaks, elms, chilli pines, and birches stood in clusters like a peculiar family; bushes, shrubs, moss and various toadstools graced both the earth and the trunks; dirt laden stones, animal nests and even clusters of herbs were present- everything was visible from the mouth of the unusually enchanting forest. As peculiar as its sudden appearance was, the forest was almost as spectacular to look at as the hillside.

Proudly standing to the left of the Charmed Ones, a protective shadow was cast over the sisters – not by the clouds as they had so thought - but by an enormous oak tree. The trunk of the tree was wider than all three Halliwell women standing side by side, and in a deformed beauty it twisted towards the darkness of the mysterious forest. Contours in the bark carved intricate and elaborate patterns- some resembling letters or numbers, others creating the illusion of people and other life forms residing in the trunk. It was almost as if a sculptor had spent hours slaving to create such a peculiar puzzle; or perhaps a riddle had been placed in the wood by Mother Nature. The foot of the tree was laden with moss and a curious assortment of toadstools and shrubs. These, of course, thinned as the trunk grew upwards in a physical splendour unlike any they had ever seen- even in the trees of Golden Gate Park. The branches- some of which were as wide as the base of a few of the other trees- appeared to stretch, twisting and turning graciously, forever. They intertwined with branches belonging to their mother, and branches belonging to trees not even of the same species- reaching eternally into the heavens. The knots of the tree seemed to stare, through judgmental eyes, down at the sisters, but the leaves gave a comforting shelter.

In any other situation, Piper, Phoebe and Paige may have spent longer trying to decipher some of nature's grandest work. But the appearance of the forest baffled them to the extent that they had little appreciation for the tree _just yet_.

"Where the hell did this come from?" As it had been with the hills, it was Piper who took the first step into the forest. It was only one step though, as when her foot landed on the forest floor the crunch of the twig laden ground beneath her, though only small in sound, echoed through the mystifying woodland.

Her voice, accompanied by the noise of her step, seemed to awaken the forest. Suddenly the trees sprang to life. A breeze wisped, meandering along its own winding path; turning corners that didn't exists and at the same time tracing the map of the forest floor, causing the leaves of the colourful foliage to rustle- singing their own peculiar tune. The smaller of the trees swayed ever so slightly in the wind, trying to break free of the constricting grip their roots had on the mossy floor. The distant calls of birds could only just be heard over the noise of the woods- chirping starlings, singing sparrows and even the harsh cackles of crows. It was not something the Charmed Ones were used to with living in seagull infested San Francisco.

But even when alive, there was a certain sense of foreboding about the forest. The sisters gazed into the distance, which grew darker as their eyes travelled deeper into the trees. It did not look harmful, or in any way evil, but the Charmed Ones found themselves with the feeling that something bad was going to happen if they stepped further towards the shadows.

"You go first," Like a child, Paige shoved Piper forwards. "You're the oldest."

"Okay…" Apprehensively, Piper took a step. "But if something eats me, I'm gunna make sure as hell that you're desert."

"At least that gives me time to run while it eats Phoebe for its main course." Paige pursed her lips. Her tendency to use humour in a tense situation, for once had the right effect. Piper and Paige shared a small laugh. They both turned in curiosity when Phoebe made no noise.

The witch in question had her gaze firmly settled on the large oak tree on their left. The new life of the forest had aroused Phoebe's curiosity with this tree. Her dark eyes were full of inquisitiveness and were squinted, trying to decipher the puzzle the tree created. Until now, she had not even taken the tree into recognition, but as her sisters had started speaking the unusual lure of the tree's underlying mystery had gained her interest. Apparently, her enticement with the tree had caught her sister's attention and they too had begun staring at it in wonder.

"…What are you looking at?" Paige asked. As intriguing at the ancient oak was, the youngest witch present could not quite understand why Phoebe was so captivated by it.

Uh… Phoebs?" When no reply came from her sister, Piper began to wave her hand in front of Phoebe's face. "_Phoebe!_"

"Wh-what? Sorry…" Phoebe snapped out of her daze (even though she still remained staring at the tree). "I have no idea why," she said slowly, "But something is telling me to look at that tree."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Paige asked cautiously.

"No," came the answer, "But I'm going to do it anyway." And so she did. Her sisters followed warily behind her. The tree resided only ten feet from where they stood so the journey took no time at all- not even with the cautious and shuffled steps of the Charmed Ones. And as soon as they reached it, the middle sister's hands outstretched and came to rest on the engraved bark. Less than a second later, Phoebe's body went stiff. An ice cold chill shot down her spine with tremendous force as it had done on so many occasions, and the brown of her eyes disappeared as they lolled back into her skull and a premonition engulfed her sight.

"Phoebe!" The panicked gasps of her sisters echoed in shock through the forest as their arms flew out just in time to catch Phoebe's stiff body as it fell backwards. They knew she was having a premonition, but they did not enjoy being unaware of what their sister was encountering in Technicolor before her very eyes.

"What did you see?" Was Paige's immediate question when Phoebe's eyes flickered open. "Are you okay?"

"I saw…," She paused as she steadied herself. Her chest suddenly felt constricted and a searing pain had made itself present in her head. She began to form gentle circles on her temples in a bid to soothe the ache but it was proving ineffective. She had seen many things in her time as a witch, but somehow that had been the most disturbing vision she had ever experienced. "I saw… nothing."

_This chapter was actually supposed to be longer, but I cut it because it was too long P I hope you enjoyed that! I'll see you all in Chapter 3!_


End file.
